New and existing Verizon customers, bow down your head and say a prayer for the two-year contract which passed away on January 5th. All new customers will now be required to purchase a phone using an Equipment Installment Plan (EIP). While new subscribers at Big Red were no longer allowed to sign a two-year pact starting last August, existing customers still had that option until now.

T-Mobile was the first to offer EIPs and it also was the first to do away with two-year contracts and subsidized phones. Now, all of the four major U.S. carriers offer EIP plans for their customers as an option when it comes to buying a new handset.

Verizon also made many of its customers put on their #feeface by raising the upgrade and activation fee by 50%. The fee is now $30, up from the previous $20. That change also took effect on January 5th. Back in April of last year, Verizon instituted a $20 activation fee on those purchasing a new phone paying full price, or using an EIP.

They've done this for some time now. Verizon aint slick. Only reason they're doing this is to edge people into buying more phones per year. You dont get discount upgrade pricing anymore. Matter of fact there was a time you didnt even pay an activation/upgrade fee(not including the phone) at all. Then it went from 15 to 30. Now when you upgrade, you gotta pay full retail price + activation. They know most people not gonna drop $700+ on a phone right then. So they edge you into financing the phone and paying monthly installments. Not to mention how they always quietly, randomly change conditions in their plans. Verizon is greediest phone carrier out of all imo. Thats why so many people under them buy cheaper second handed phones or end up switching carriers.

Good. Should not be subjected to a 2 year contract. I should be able to upgrade whenever I want or switch carriers without breaking the damn contract and getting penalized. I should also be able to take my phone anywhere except we still have CDMA carriers. Europe is miles ahead here while we just catching up.

They've done this for some time now. Verizon aint slick. Only reason they're doing this is to edge people into buying more phones per year. You dont get discount upgrade pricing anymore. Matter of fact there was a time you didnt even pay an activation/upgrade fee(not including the phone) at all. Then it went from 15 to 30. Now when you upgrade, you gotta pay full retail price + activation. They know most people not gonna drop $700+ on a phone right then. So they edge you into financing the phone and paying monthly installments. Not to mention how they always quietly, randomly change conditions in their plans. Verizon is greediest phone carrier out of all imo. Thats why so many people under them buy cheaper second handed phones or end up switching carriers.

Quick question. I'm in the phone game. Does this change the qualifications to get the phones such as credit? Does this make it easier are harder to get Verizon now?

Good. Should not be subjected to a 2 year contract. I should be able to upgrade whenever I want or switch carriers without breaking the damn contract and getting penalized. I should also be able to take my phone anywhere except we still have CDMA carriers. Europe is miles ahead here while we just catching up.

subjected???

bro, 2 year contract versus a 2 year LEASE, there arent any difference except you arent getting a new phone and after 2 years you have to give the phone back or pay an extra 200

im on sprint, i extend 2 years and get a new phne for free because im happy with my service and i was never4 going to leave, so me extending 2 years means jack, i was never going anywhere

now this lease sh*t is a hustle, 2 get out of a lease you got to pay a feee, no different then getting out of a 2 year contract, so all they did was change the name from contract to lease and then say the phone aint yours

they win

you lose

once again...you still get penalized and get fees if you leave the lease early

Good. Should not be subjected to a 2 year contract. I should be able to upgrade whenever I want or switch carriers without breaking the damn contract and getting penalized. I should also be able to take my phone anywhere except we still have CDMA carriers. Europe is miles ahead here while we just catching up.

They still have 2-year contracts. They're just tied to the phone and not the plan. Nothing more than clever wording.

bro, 2 year contract versus a 2 year LEASE, there arent any difference except you arent getting a new phone and after 2 years you have to give the phone back or pay an extra 200

im on sprint, i extend 2 years and get a new phne for free because im happy with my service and i was never4 going to leave, so me extending 2 years means jack, i was never going anywhere

now this lease sh*t is a hustle, 2 get out of a lease you got to pay a feee, no different then getting out of a 2 year contract, so all they did was change the name from contract to lease and then say the phone aint yours

they win

you lose

once again...you still get penalized and get fees if you leave the lease early

I was under the impression that you could get out of these without being locked in. Thanks for the education.

Quick question. I'm in the phone game. Does this change the qualifications to get the phones such as credit? Does this make it easier are harder to get Verizon now?

As far as credit checks, I'm thinking they still have that policy when you add new service. Those who dont have a decent amount of credit may be required to pay deposits when activating a brand new account. You may have to call them bruh. Verizon change there policies so much.

I was under the impression that you could get out of these without being locked in. Thanks for the education.

yeah man, i thought the same and my boy wasd schooling me and by the end of his "schooling" i was like so....you still have to pay a fee to leave the elase early, and you are paying for the phone MONTHLY on top of your bill as oppose to getting the phone for free, and now at the end of the elase, you have to give that phone back instead of keeping it

and he said naw..you dont have to give the phone back you can pay 200 dollars to keep the phone

i just sat there like

this is the same as a 2 year contract except they say its a 2 year klease only difference is its not your phone and you have to pay a monthly phone payment on top of your bill, to me its a terrible thing UNLESS you upgrade your phone every 3 to 5 months

yeah man, i thought the same and my boy wasd schooling me and by the end of his "schooling" i was like so....you still have to pay a fee to leave the elase early, and you are paying for the phone MONTHLY on top of your bill as oppose to getting the phone for free, and now at the end of the elase, you have to give that phone back instead of keeping it

and he said naw..you dont have to give the phone back you can pay 200 dollars to keep the phone

i just sat there like

this is the same as a 2 year contract except they say its a 2 year klease only difference is its not your phone and you have to pay a monthly phone payment on top of your bill, to me its a terrible thing UNLESS you upgrade your phone every 3 to 5 months

im not that guy, i keep my phones for a year or 2 before i upgrade

problem is, in order to upgrade on verizon's lease plan, you have to have paid 50% of the phone off before you can upgrade, so you could upgrade every 3-5 months, but you'd be paying for half of the phone every time you upgraded.

They've done this for some time now. Verizon aint slick. Only reason they're doing this is to edge people into buying more phones per year. You dont get discount upgrade pricing anymore. Matter of fact there was a time you didnt even pay an activation/upgrade fee(not including the phone) at all. Then it went from 15 to 30. Now when you upgrade, you gotta pay full retail price + activation. They know most people not gonna drop $700+ on a phone right then. So they edge you into financing the phone and paying monthly installments. Not to mention how they always quietly, randomly change conditions in their plans. Verizon is greediest phone carrier out of all imo. Thats why so many people under them buy cheaper second handed phones or end up switching carriers.

All about T-Mobile for now. Until another company comes along. Perhaps Sprint will come back to #2.